Philadelphia councilmembers reaffirmed their support for Graduate Employees Together — University of Pennsylvania after a late-night tentative agreement concluded over a year of negotiations between graduate workers and Penn.
Many councilmembers had previously expressed support for the union amid its ongoing negotiations with the University. The agreement, which was reached on Feb. 17, contains provisions for increased stipends and enhanced childcare and medical benefits.
Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, whose district includes University City, congratulated GET-UP in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian.
“Graduate workers do the bulk of the work that fulfills Penn’s teaching and research missions,” she wrote. “I am glad that they will now receive the fair contract every worker deserves.”
Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson, wrote to the DP that she continues “to stand with our unions,” and is “glad” the tentative agreement “centers fairness, dignity and respect” for Penn’s workers.
In a GET-UP press release, Clara Abbott, third-year Ph.D. candidate and GET-UP bargaining committee member, wrote that she was “proud” of what the union was “able to accomplish with this contract.”
“We won a historic contract that enshrines gains for grad workers,” she added.
A University spokesperson wrote that administrators were “pleased” by the agreement in a statement to the DP.
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“Penn has a long-standing commitment to its graduate students and value their contributions to Penn’s important missions,” the statement read. “We are grateful to all the members of the Penn community who helped us achieve this tentative agreement.”
In a Feb. 17 message posted to his Instagram page, Pennsylvania state Rep. Rick Krajewski (D-188) wrote that the contract “contains agreements that will improve the lives of thousands of workers at Penn — and raise the bar for workers around campus.”
On Sunday, Krajewski spoke about unionization at Penn during a panel hosted by the Democratic Socialists of America. He told the DP that he was “fully in support” of the graduate student workers’ “right to strike,” and said that he would “be there on the picket line to show support.”
GET-UP was prepared to strike 9 a.m. on Tuesday, with demonstrations planned throughout the week at 34th and Walnut streets, 33rd and Walnut streets, 36th and Spruce streets, and Civic Center Boulevard.
“These are workers who provide a lot of the academic research and academic labor that makes Penn the research institution that it is, and they deserve to be fairly compensated,” Krajewski said. “They’ve been shortchanged throughout this entire process.”
Previously, members of the City Council — along with the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Pennsylvania Senate — urged the University to reach a contract before the union’s Feb. 17 strike deadline. In letters to Penn President Larry Jameson and Provost John Jackson Jr., the lawmakers argued that Penn, as the city’s largest private employer, has the responsibility to treat employees with “respect” and “dignity.”
Councilmember Nina Ahmad, who signed a Feb. 10 letter, wrote that the University should prioritize “a fair contract” and “good-faith bargaining,” in a statement to the DP.
“As a former graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, I understand firsthand the essential work graduate student employees do every day to keep classrooms, labs, and research moving,” Ahmad added.
The agreement is subject to a ratification vote by union members, which will take place during the week of Feb. 23.
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Senior reporter Arti Jain covers state and local politics and can be reached at jain@thedp.com. At Penn, she studies economics and political science. Follow her on X @arti_jain_.
